What Is Artforum?

Updated

Artforum is a modern and contemporary art and culture publication founded in 1962. It publishes criticism and analysis of the latest developments in art and culture both in print and online, and its site at artforum.com is organized around news, columns, features, reviews, video, and a browsable issue archive. It is aimed at readers who follow contemporary art closely — critics, artists, curators, and others working in or around the art world — rather than at a general lifestyle audience.

What the site covers

The publication describes itself as delivering "informed and inspired criticism and analyses concerning the latest developments in modern and contemporary art and culture." In practice, the site's navigation shows the range of that coverage:

  • News — art-world developments and announcements
  • Columns — recurring critical and thematic writing, including an editor's letter, diary, field notes, passages, books, slant, top ten, and the checklist
  • Features — longer pieces such as spotlights, close-ups, interviews, "1000 Words," portfolios, artists' projects, and dossiers
  • Reviews and Previews — exhibition criticism and advance looks
  • Video
  • Current Issue and Archive — the magazine's latest and past issues
  • artguide — a listings-oriented section

Columns also branch into adjacent culture areas: architecture, design, fashion, film, music, performing arts, read/watch/listen, technology, and television. So while the core is art, the scope extends to the cultural context around it.

Who it's for

The content mix — criticism, interviews, artist projects, and reviews — points to an audience already engaged with contemporary art: practicing artists, critics, curators, gallerists, students, and serious followers of the field. If you want exhibition reviews, artist interviews, and critical essays rather than broad news or how-to content, this is the kind of publication you'd read.

How to use it

  • To read current criticism and features: start from the News, Columns, Features, or Reviews sections in the main menu.
  • To find a specific issue: use Current Issue for the latest and Archive for back issues.
  • To browse by theme: the column categories (Books, Film, Music, Technology, and so on) let you narrow to a subject.
  • To keep up: the site offers newsletters and an account/login area, and links to Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.

One practical note: the site shows a "Subscribe" option and account management, so some content or access may sit behind a subscription or login. The available material doesn't specify what is free versus paid, so check the subscribe page if access matters to you.